S3:E5 - Monday, March 13th Petition Update

03/13/23 • 5 min

Happy Monday, Sturgis. It’s March 13th, and Eric Davis is back at the Sturgis Kitchen Table with a quick update on the petitions circulating around the community to reverse the Sturgis city council’s decision to hire a new city manager and to instead have a larger discussion and an election where the voters can decide the future of Sturgis city government are making their way around the community. If you haven’t signed one yet, you have this coming week through this weekend to get it done. In this episode, we'll tell you how to add your name to the petitions and how you can circulate your own petition to your family, friends and neighbors who are registered to vote in Sturgis. We still need to gather about 150 signatures this week, and with your help, we can get it done easy. Here's the details.

View, download, and print a copy of the referendum petition
View, download, and print a copy of the initiative petition
Review information from the SD Secretary of State's Office on how to circulate a municipal petition

View, download, and print a copy of the referendum petition
View, download, and print a copy of the initiative petition
Review information from the SD Secretary of State's Office on how to circulate a municipal petition

Previous Episode

S3E4 - Monday, March 6th Petition Update

In Episode 4, Eric Davis is back at the Sturgis Kitchen Table with a very quick update on the petitions circulating to refer the decision of whether Sturgis should continue to operate under the city manager form of government to a vote of the people. The petitions to call an election on that question are out and circulating, and the deadline is March 20th. In this episode, we'll tell you how you can add your name to the petitions and then circulate your own petition to your family, friends, and coworkers registered to vote in Sturgis. We intend to call an election on this issue and then to spend the weeks leading up to that election leading a conversation amongst ourselves and others in the community about the history of this issue, the major differences between the two forms of government being considered for Sturgis, and the various pros and cons of each to help you get informed, spread the word, and cast an informed vote at the upcoming election.

View, download, and print a copy of the referendum petition
View, download, and print a copy of the initiative petition
Review information from the SD Secretary of State's Office on how to circulate a municipal petition

Next Episode

S3:E6 - Tuesday, March 21st - Final Petition Update

In this episode, Eric Davis is back at the Sturgis Kitchen Table with one final petition update. The deadline to submit the petition to refer the resolution authorizing the City of Sturgis to hire a new city manager was last night, and the petitions were not submitted. After careful consideration and analysis of all the issues, we determined the petitions are not necessary to secure a public vote on this issue considering the pending status of several lawsuits. In this episode, we explain our rationale and a new lawsuit seeking a determination that Resolution 2023-20 and the resolution appointing a 7-member "interim Management team" are illegal and in excess of the authority granted to the City of Sturgis by state law. You can view the arguments and authority for that position here.The wheels of justice turn slowly, but the wait is almost over and an election on the issue of the Sturgis City Manager is on the horizon. We've decided to wait patiently for the South Dakota judicial system to resolve this dispute once and for all.